The present invention relates to a manually foldable door mirror provided on an automobile.
A typical manually foldable door mirror used in an automobile includes a mirror portion. The mirror portion rotates from the normal position to the folded position. The mirror portion is erected from the door at a predetermined angle in the normal position, and is folded toward the door in the folded position. The door mirror is formed such that when an operator moves the mirror portion to each position, the operator easily feels changes in the force applied to the mirror portion at the time the mirror portion starts moving from one of the normal position and the folded position and at the time the mirror portion reaches the other position. This feeling is referred to as a click stop feeling. The mirror portion is secured to a bracket. A stand is fixed to the door with a stay. The bracket is rotatably supported by a support shaft of the stand and is movable in the axial direction of the support shaft. A projection and a recess are provided between the stand and the bracket for determining the position of the stand and the bracket. The bracket is urged toward the stand by a spring.
FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) are exploded cross-sectional views of a contact portion between a conventional stand 80 and a bracket 81. A projection 82 is formed on the upper surface of the stand 80 along the circumferential portion about a support shaft, which is not shown. A first recess 83a and a second recess 83b are formed on the bottom surface of the bracket 81. The first recess 83a is fitted to the projection 82 when the mirror portion is at the normal position. The second recess 83b is fitted to the projection 82 when the mirror portion is at the folded position.
As shown in FIG. 8(a), when the mirror portion is being used, the projection 82 is fitted to the first recess 83a. When folding the mirror portion, an operator folds the mirror portion toward the vehicle body. Thus, the projection 82 is detached from the first recess 83a and then fitted to the second recess 83b as shown in FIG. 8(b). As a result, the mirror portion is retained in the folded position.
Typically, the angle between the mirror portion and the door when the door mirror is in the normal position differs depending on the car model. Therefore, the moving range of the mirror portion from the normal position to the folded position, that is, the folding angle, differs depending on the car model. Thus, a bracket having a recess that corresponds to the folding angle of each car model must be provided. Furthermore, the stand also has a different structure depending on the car model. In other words, the bracket and the stand are not shared between different car models. This increases the manufacturing cost.
The objective of the present invention is to provide a manually foldable door mirror that allows a bracket to be shared between different car models and allows an operator to easily feel a click stop feeling.
To attain the above object, the present invention provides a manually foldable door mirror. The door mirror has a stand which is fixed to a door of a vehicle, a bracket which is rotatably supported by the stand, and a mirror portion which is fixed to the bracket. The mirror portion moves from the normal position to the folded position. A first surface is formed on the stand. A support shaft extends from the stand. The support shaft supports the bracket. An axis of the support shaft is perpendicular to the first surface. A first projection and a second projection are located on the first surface at a predetermined interval with respect to the axis of the support shaft. A second surface is formed on the bracket. The second surface faces to the first surface. A first recess and a second recess are located on the second surface at a predetermined interval with respect to the axis of the support shaft. When the first projection fits in the first recess and the second projection faces to the second recess, the mirror portion is held at the normal position. When the second projection fits in the first recess and the first projection faces to the second recess, the mirror portion is held at the folded position. A circumferential width of the second recess is greater than those of the first and second projections. An urging member urges the bracket to the stand.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.